Timney trigger vs Adjusting stock trigger on Rem 700

C

Chaparral

New member
I have watched YouTube videos on folks adjusting their Rem 700 trigger. They tell you to scrape away some kind of a sealant over the front hole on the trigger housing and then adjust with a Allen wrench. Sounds simple enough. And of course there is the Timney replacement trigger. I have placed Timneys in a few rifles with no problems. But I thought it would be nice to save $120 and try to adjust it myself if that is possible. My question is, is it just that easy to adjust the Rem 700 stock trigger as the videos show? Thx.
 
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I have done it but honestly, it's still just a factory trigger. OK for hunting at normal distances. You'd want better for precision shooting.
 
Get a Timney. For the price, it is a much better trigger and a much better solution than a Walker trigger with sintered metal sear and trigger nose.
 
I haven't messed with a Remington trigger, but have on my Savages, and Rugers.
While adjusting the pull weight lower does help, there is only so much one can do.
I've used Timney, Jewel, and Rifle Basics triggers. All are a huge improvement, even after adjusting a stock trigger.
 
Factory 700 trigger

As a gunsmith who is often asked to adjust factory triggers, I can tell you that around 10 years ago Remington changed their 700 trigger so that it is impossible to adjust the trigger below 3 pounds.
Timney triggers are excellent and much better than the factory trigger.
 
...And if you have the original Walker trigger, as I did on my Rem 600's, the Timney replacements I installed are a safer design as there is no forward slipping piece to get fouling debris caught under. That piece was Walker's way of eliminating overtravel, but it proved to be able to cause firing on closing the bolt if debris got in under it. Clever idea, but just not executed in a way that would keep debris out. Mind you, it takes someone not being careful about the point of the muzzle when closing the bolt for there to be a serious resulting accident, but some folks will occasionally neglect to control that.

I'll add that a Walker trigger isn't the only thing that can cause that symptom. I also had a pre-Accutrigger on a Savage let a shot go on bolt closing because I had lightened the Rifle Basix replacement of the same mechanical type beyond what the simple direct-release design could handle, regardless of who made it (my fault), but at least I was on a hot line with the muzzle pointed at the berm when it occurred. I subsequently put on the trigger sold by Sharp Shooter Supply, and that handled it and allowed much better range of safe adjustment.
 
Good choice. I had Walker triggers on 2 Rem 700s. The legal controversies engulfing these triggers effectively reduced each rifle to range use only.

Having since replaced the Walkers with Timneys, these rifles have returned to general use. And the brooding cloud of legal issues has been lifted...
 
Any trigger that is improperly adjusted or dirty can malfunction regardless of the brand. The Pre-2007 triggers that Remington used on all bolt guns from 1946-2007 (except the 788) could discharge with no trigger pull even if perfectly clean and still adjusted as it left the factory.

In 1946 Mike Walker concluded that 1 out of 10 rifles could do so right off the assembly line. It is a design flaw that was caught early in production and Walker drew up plans for a replacement trigger at the time. He even sent a letter to management in 1948 again trying to redesign the trigger. But Remington management chose not to use it until 2007.

In 1983 (I think that was the year) Remington redesigned the safety so the gun could be unloaded with the safety in the "safe" position. This did a lot to reduce the number of incidents, but did nothing to address the real problem.

Guns made 2007-2014 have the newer trigger, but a manufacturing glitch allowed adhesive to get into the trigger group on a handful of guns that could cause problems. All of those guns were recalled to have triggers inspected and replaced if needed. To date none of the pre-2007 guns have been recalled, but if you return it to Remington for any reason it will come back with the new trigger.

I've not owned, nor even fired one with the new trigger, but reports I hear indicate that it is not a very good trigger. All of my experience is with the older trigger and while it is crisp and light I don't think it a safe trigger.

I own a 1974 production 700 bought new in 1975. After pulling the rifle out of a safe sometime in the 1990's I moved the safety in order to check the chamber as I always do when I pick up any firearm. When I did the firing pin dropped on an empty chamber. It did so 2-3 times and stopped and never did it again until about 5 years ago when it did exactly the same thing. Both times with an unloaded gun. Once again, it only happened 2-3 times then started working normally again.

I rarely use the rifle anymore, but decided it needed a new trigger before it is passed down to one of the kids so I went with a Timney.
 
Well I just finished replacing the 700 trigger with the Timney. As usual it makes you grin when you pull the trigger!:D This is on a Remington 700 Classic from 1982 in 257 Roberts. The gun is like new. Can't wait to get out to the range. but anyways that stock trigger was the heaviest trigger I have ever felt. I actually thought the safety was on when I first dry fired it. It is smooth as silk now.
 
Here's a question that keeps popping up about after-market triggers and here's my 1.49 cents worth. On a Rem 700 always install a Timney. I even install timneys on Model 70s. On a Savage be very, VERY careful. Normally the sear spring has too much tension and the sear will bounce off the trigger's creep screw if you try to get the pull weight below2.5/2 pounds thusly not allowing it to set/reset correctly. No thanks to the internet some owners think that a trigger needs to be set well below 2 pounds for better accuracy. This isn't true. Timney modular triggers(Remington,Winchester, and even Mossyburgs,lol) are very reliable and easy to set. The Savage aftermarket trigger, whether from timney or basix, works well but requires you paying close attention during installation.
 
Even the older 700 triggers weren't designed to be adjusted down to really light pull weight(nor were Savages for that matter) and I've handled several of both brands that had been rendered unsafe by user adjustments. Don't expect or even try to get a production model trigger below 3-3.5# or you may increase the possibility of unintentional discharges.
I've used Timney triggers on several Mausers and always felt safe with them @3#.
 
Just FYI -

Of the two Timneys I've had installed in separate Rem 700s, out of their boxes, one trigger came with a 3 pound break, and the other came ith a 2.75 pound break from Timney.

Bayou
 
I've got three old Rem 700's I think with the Walker trigger's. Each is adjusted to three pounds. I've got a 788 I tried to replace with a Timmney trigger. That will never happen again. Absolutely no problem with the Remington triggers and 3# is more than light enough. Never did get the Timmney to work right!
 
I have never replaced something just to replace it, and I have never put a target trigger on a hunting gun !!!
 
Don Fischer said:
I've got three old Rem 700's I think with the Walker trigger's. Each is adjusted to three pounds. I've got a 788 I tried to replace with a Timmney trigger. That will never happen again. Absolutely no problem with the Remington triggers and 3# is more than light enough. Never did get the Timmney to work right!
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Just out of curiosity....... What went wrong with the Timney replacement in the 788? I replaced a trigger in my 788 6mm and I love that rifle.
 
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